94-Year-Old American Grandmother Challenges World Tour with Grandson: "You Have to Just Jump In"

Conquered 63 U.S. National Parks with Grandson Last Year
First Passport Issued at 91... "Goal to Visit All 7 Continents"

Last year, 'Grandma Joy' (Grandma Joy), who made headlines for visiting all the national parks in the United States at the age of 93, is now embarking on a trip around the world.

Joy Ryan (right), who embarked on a world tour at the age of 94, and her grandson Brad Ryan (left). [Image source=Instagram capture]

On the 7th (local time), the US CNN reported that 94-year-old Joy Ryan is setting off on a world tour with Brad Ryan (42), who is 52 years younger. Since 2015, Joy Ryan has been traveling with her grandson and running an Instagram account called 'Grandma Joy's Road Trip,' gaining popularity.

Grandma Joy, who made headlines last year for achieving the feat that many people find difficult even after a lifetime?visiting all 63 national parks in the US?has set a new goal to visit all seven continents worldwide, including Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica, and Oceania. Grandma Joy received her first passport at the age of 91 in 2022, traveled to Canada and Kenya in Africa last year, and has already visited Ecuador and Chile in South America this year. Grandma Joy and her grandson plan to leave for Australia at the end of this year. Her grandson Ryan said, "The ultimate goal is to visit Antarctica."

Joy Ryan (right), who set out on a world tour at the age of 94, and his grandson Brad Ryan (left). [Image source=Instagram capture]

In fact, Grandma Joy was an ordinary grandmother who had never taken a proper trip until she was 85 years old. Brad, who had lost contact with his grandmother for a while due to his parents' divorce, said that when he reunited with her in 2010 and talked, he learned that she had never actually seen a mountain in her life, which weighed on his mind. Brad explained, "That was something my grandmother regretted her whole life," adding, "The only trips she had taken were a few car trips to nearby Florida with my grandfather before he passed away. The world she had seen was only through news or travel channels."

A few years later, in 2015, Brad, exhausted from his studies, decided to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans North Carolina and Tennessee. At that time, he thought he wanted to go with his grandmother. Although it was a sudden proposal from her grandson, Grandma Joy readily agreed to the trip, and thus their first journey began in September of that year.

At the age of 85, everything from hiking to camping was new, but Grandma Joy sincerely enjoyed every moment. Brad said that traveling with his grandmother, who savored every moment slowly, gave him a joy he had never felt before. Afterward, the two planned to visit all the remaining national parks. Initially, to save money, they ate cup noodles while traveling, but as their travel stories gradually gained popularity on social media (SNS), they were able to receive sponsorships and continue their journey more comfortably.

In a video interview with CNN, Grandma Joy said, "I don't have much time left, so I have to just dive in," adding, "If you slow down, you can't do anything."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.